Herbert dawiei steusokt



H. D. STENSUN.

POULTRY FEEDER. APPLlcAloN man rfa. 13. ma.

'Patented Sept. 16, 1919.

UE STATES PATENT OFFICE' EEEEEET `DANIEL sTEivsoiv, or CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

POULTRY-FEEDER.

To allan/iam t may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT D. STENSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chelsea, in the county of Sultolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Poultry-Feeders; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description et the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to in ake and use the same.

'lhe present invention relates `to new and useful improvements in poultry feeders of that type including a storage reservoir for the 'feed and means associated with said reservoir tor opening the discharge mouth thereof at a predetermined time ot feeding whereby to eliminate the necessity of personal attention to the feeding operation at the time ot teedino'. u

llt is more particularly an object to provide an arrangement whereby an ordinary alarm clock may :form a major portion of the releasing mechanism, and wherein the ordinary alarm winding key may, by its rotation at a previously set time release a detent member to procure opening of the discharge mouth of the receptacle.

Vith the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides more particularly in the novel combination, tormation and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

ln the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an automatically operated poultry feeder embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view therethrough. n

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the winding key of the alarm clock and the detent member.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is provided a main cylindrical storage receptacle 5 having its lower portion taperingly reduced at 6 and terminating in a section 7 of rectangular cross section in which is slidably mounted a valve plate 8 which is supported by .in-turned edges 9 of three walls or the section. The receptacle is provided with a suitable cover 10 and with a bail 11 whereby it may be Specification of Letters Patent.

carried from place to place, and suspended from a suitable support in discharge position.

Suspended by a pair et links 12 pivotally depending` from the lower section 7 ot the receptacle is a bell-shaped spreader 13, the Haring walls of which are adapted to defleet the feed as it l'alls trom the receptacle and thus spread it over a large space whereby it is accessible to all ot the poultry to be ted. `Secured to one side oi the body portion 5 ot the receptacle is a clock supporting bracket Yformed ot a single plate 11 bent in U-shapeand having attaching tongues 15 bent outwardly fromone ot its side edges for securement to the wall ot the receptacle, and retaining` flanges 1G bent from. the other sides thereof. Seated on ythe bight portion ot the bracket plate is "a clock'17 which confined against accidental displacement by the sides oi. the bracket plate and the flanges 16. Pivoted at an intermediate point to one of the side flanges 1G .is a lever 18 which has a relatively long arm at one side ot its pivot extending diagonally of the bracket and provided Vwith a weight at its outer extremity, and which is connected at its other end with the valve plate 8 by a flexible connection 21 passed through an eye 22 at the outer end ot an arm 23 projecting laterally from the lower portion 7 ot the receptacle, whereby rocking movement et the lever by the weight 20 thereof may procure a su'fiicient direct outward pull on the valve plate 8 to open the bottom of the section 7 and permit discharge of the feed. Projecting` inwardly from the weight carrying portion oi the lever 18 is a detent finger 24 which is engageable with the alarm winding key 25 of the clock, which is disposed with its tace toward the receptacle.

In setting the device, the alarm is set at the time at which it is desired to release the feed, and the alarm mechanism is wound up, leaving the key in a horizontal position supporting the pin 24.- which is disposed adjacent and to one side ot the aXis ot the key. As the alarm mechanism is actuated, the key rotates in unwinding ot the alarm spring, which releases the detent finger, pemitting the lever to swing under influence of the weight 20 and open the discharge mouth of the receptacle.

Patented Sept. 16, 1919.` Application `filed February 13, 1918. Serial No. `217,016.`

To reset the device, the lever is svvung up- Wardly at its Weighted end, .the clock is Wound and the detent linger again seated on the alarm key, the slide being pushed inwardly to close the discharge mouth of the receptacle.

What is claimed is:

l. A device of the class described comprising a receptacle having a discharge mouth, a sliding valve for the discharge mouth, a guide carried by the receptacle, a bracket carried by the receptacle and including a bottom and a vertical Wall, a lever pivoted between its ends to the said Wall for vertical movement, one end of said lever extending outwardly beyond the Wall and the other end of said lever extending inwardly longitudinally of the bottom of the bracket and in a plane thereabove, an alarm clock including a iat revoluble Winding key disposed upon the bracket, a lateral pin carried by the arm and disposed for engagement upon the Winding key When the latter is in horizontal position to hold the lever against pivotal movement, a Weight carried byv the extremity of the lever beyond the pin, and a flexible element secured to the outer end of the lever and to the sliding valve and trained through the guide.

2. A device of the class described conlpri'sing' a receptacle having a discharge mouth, and a valve comprising a horizontally sliding flat plate for controlling the flow from the discharge mouth, a. bracket formed of another plate of suitable shape and secured to the receptacle and having inturned iianges thereon for supporting and centering an `alarm clock, an alarm clock disposed upon the bracket and including an alarm Winding key, a weighted lever pivoted to one of said iianges, a detent pin near the end portion of said lever and engageable with the alarm Winding key of the clock, for holding said end portion ot the lever in raised position and releasable at a predetermined time by rotation of said key, and a connection between the other end portion of the lever and the valve for opening the latter upon a pivotal movement. of the lever.

HERBERT DANIEL STENSON.

itnesses NIOMA A. Rroirrns, CARLTON O. DoLLoFF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

